Some owners set a limit on how much they'll spend on any player based strictly on return-on-investment.
In the end, I just couldn't freeze a $40 hitter. Our actual inflation rate was closer to 15% and it was much higher on the pitching side (cheap closers and some young pitching that paid off).I'm reluctant to look at 2009 prices and stats. The sample sizes are too small, and it wouldn't surprise me if some of the current Top 10 Earners are nowhere to be found in October. Instead, I'll take a look at 2008.
Generally, I prefer to avoid concentration of risk -- two $20 players are better than a $40 player and a $1 player.
2008 Hitter Prices vs. Earnings (Targeted Brackets)
| Grouping | AVG Value | AVG Salary | +/- |
| A.L. 1-10 | $31 | $36 | -5 |
| A.L. 31-40 | $21 | $21 | +1 |
| A.L. 151-166 | $3 | $1 | +2 |
| N.L. 1-10 | $35 | $39 | -4 |
| N.L. 31-40 | $16 | $23 | -7 |
| N.L. 159-172 | $6 | $1 | +5 |
The American League and National League painted vastly different pictures as far as how each group of these players did in 2008.
In the A.L., you probably would have been better steering your money toward the $20 bucket of players. Getting back what you paid on a $21 investment is great. Keep in mind that - based on the average salary - this was either someone's third or fourth best player in 2008. You might not want to break even, but you're better off doing that here than losing money at the top, particularly when you look at the modest bargains coming at the end.
In the N.L., while the top players didn't return 100% on their investment, they did much better than the same 31-40 group, which crashed and burned. Yes, a lot of that is Andruw Jones, but a $7 loss per player is still brutal. You can try and wait for an even cheaper group of hitters (which I've discussed previously), but this is a lot harder in keeper leagues with inflation.
The early returns on Sizemore are poor, but I can't help wondering what this chart will look like when the dust settles on the 2009 season. I tend to like spending money on the best players even if they're only $1-2 bargains, but if the trend line in the A.L. remains the same two years running, it may be harder to do so based on the evidence.
In the A.L., you probably would have been better steering your money toward the $20 bucket of players. Getting back what you paid on a $21 investment is great. Keep in mind that - based on the average salary - this was either someone's third or fourth best player in 2008. You might not want to break even, but you're better off doing that here than losing money at the top, particularly when you look at the modest bargains coming at the end.
In the N.L., while the top players didn't return 100% on their investment, they did much better than the same 31-40 group, which crashed and burned. Yes, a lot of that is Andruw Jones, but a $7 loss per player is still brutal. You can try and wait for an even cheaper group of hitters (which I've discussed previously), but this is a lot harder in keeper leagues with inflation.
The early returns on Sizemore are poor, but I can't help wondering what this chart will look like when the dust settles on the 2009 season. I tend to like spending money on the best players even if they're only $1-2 bargains, but if the trend line in the A.L. remains the same two years running, it may be harder to do so based on the evidence.
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